One of the things we've taken to doing at work is taking a little break by checking out some LOLCats. Particularly the site 'I Can Haz Cheezburger?' LOLCats are pictures of cats and other animals (it started with cats but has become more transspecies) with writing on them. But the writing is like misspelled text messages. There are hundreds of pictures on the site, but here are some of our favorites:

I'm wishing my camera phone was a little better. Whenever I find myself out with Amia that last thing I want to carry around is a camera, in addition to the snacks, changes of clothes, toys, and books that are a regular part of any outing. So I usually end up taking pics with my camera phone, which I share with you now...

This is her shadow on the movie screen as she watches the credits to the Bee Movie, which is a great kids movie by the way. No scary parts, and it was really clever.

Amia and part of the tribe that went to the Aquarium the other day. The white shape in the water is a beluga whale.

Amia watching a dolphin swimming by.

Amia's other favorite activity in the car, in addition to 1) eating a treat, and 2) watching a movie on the "big road" (the highway) on longer car trips.

This is the village that went to the Aquarium all having lunch before hitting the sights. We took up 3 tables. It was so fun!

And yesterday here's a near transcript of a conversation we had and the resulting drawings:A: I'm gonna draw Katie's baby. What's her name?Me: They're going to call her Elsa, I think.[Draws picture]Me: Who's that?A: (from left to right) Katie, Elsa, and Nathan...[giggles] look at Nathan.Oh, and the colored in spots on Katie and Elsa are hearts. I think she drew Nathan's heart on his head, which is maybe a way of saying he wears his heart on his sleeve...but on his head?

(for some reasons Typepad is putting the pic of Nathan on top no matter how hard I try to put them side by side as they really are. Hmpph)

Long time readers will remember that some time ago Anya submitted a pic of Amia to a Jones Soda contest being held at her Panera. We've finally got the results! See below. She'll be on two flavors, but only on Jones Soda bottles sold in Panera.

And the letter we got from Jones soda...

And to close, a funny little story (not the Maneater one yet, Alison! I should totally post that, I'm just too tired right now:)

After being at a conference all last week I've been pretty exhausted, and to boot Amia's sleep schedule has been off. So last night I was reading a story to her at 11pm, as part of her bedtime ritual. Between pages I was falling asleep and actually dreaming, to be awakened by Amia thumping my chest to wake me up. One of the dreams involved identifying rats for some reason (these were only 3 second dreams so there wasn't a lot of backstory), so when I felt the little thumping I woke up, looked at the book we were reading about a mama bear trying to put her baby bear to sleep, and said, before I knew what I was saying, "...and that's how they found out where the rats came from." Amia just turned the page without skipping a beat, which set me to laughing. Five minutes later Amia was asleep.

It's late and I'm waiting for the printer to finish, but I wanted to post a couple pics at least. They were all done using the Photo Booth program and camera that came in OUR NEW COMPUTER!
Here are the ones Amia really likes...

She was just moving her arms around but it looks kind of spooky...

This is her "I'm a tough guy" look...

I really really like this one. Suzanne is in the background listening to a podcast by Erica Toussaint we found in iTunes...

She looks really sad here, but I think it caught her when she was hungry...

And another of my favorites...

Next up, Matt, who turned out to be this self-portrait genius once this possibility became open to him.

Amia and Maya rocking the trike together. With a little help from THE HAND (read in scary-movie -preview-guy voice).

This is my grandma. We made a visit to her in Missouri (that's when all the iBook drama took place). I love this pic because I caught them smiling at each other.

This is us at this awesome little restaurant in the awesome little town of Elsah, in southern Illinois. We had a great lunch after walking around this town that looks like it did in the mid 1800s when it was established by Christian Scientists, right next to the Mississippi.

My ladies outside of the same restaurant, trying to get Amia to look at the camera.

I love this pic for two reasons. 1) Amia is holding a Chilean Temple Fund Box, distributed by my office, and a Chilean Temple wrist band. She wrote her name and decorated it, and periodically puts money in the box. 2) She's also demonstrating her amazing climbing skills. She climbs the sewing machine to the drawer to the dresser and sits up there. When I told her to be careful she said, "I'm a climbing girl".

See reasons 1 and 2 above.

This is Amia having her first ever picnic. She just caught on to the idea of picnics and always wants to have one, inside or out.

I think this has to be my new logo. Thanks to Gavin for this one (right? Hashem said it was you).

Self explanatory (if you saw that Simpson's episode). Taken while working on the fund film.

The other day I had access to a bunch of balloons, and seeing as how they'd fulfilled their purpose I brought some home to Amia. The great thing was that I had my scooter, so I attached them to the back and took off through town. I rode down Linden from the House of Worship, through the Northwestern campus, and through some residential neighborhoods with balloons of various colors trailing behind me. It was glorious. I got so many great reactions. A lot of people would see me coming from a ways and just watch the whole way. Others had a puzzled look on their face. And others just smiled.

I felt like a character in Amelie. It was "freakin' awesome"* creating that image for people.